Labeling machine



June 8 1926.

N. MUSLAR LABELING MACHINE Filed Sept. 28 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 8 1926. 1,588,136

N. MUSLAR LABELING MACHINE Filed Sept. 28 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 8, 1926. 1,588,136

N. MUSLAR I LABELING MACHINE F'iled Sept. 28, 1923 6 Sheets-Shet 4 June 8 1926.

N, MUSLAR LABELING MACHINE Filed Sept. 28, 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jun 8 1926.

N. MUSLAR LABELING MACHINE Fi led Sept. 28 1923 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented June 8, 1926.

UNITED STATES I 1 1,538,136 PATIENT OFFICE.

NELSQN'MUSLAB. 3F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR,'BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T NORMAN ROBINOVITZ, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

LABELING MACHINE.

Application filed September28, 1923. Serial in. 665,441."

This invention relates to a machine for pasting labels upon bottles, cans and other similar articles. I have shown my 1nvention as applied to a machine of the single bottle manual feed type but many features of my inventionare not limited to such use and may be embodied to advantage in other types of labeling machines.

It is the general object of my invention to provide an improved and simplified labeling machine which will be more reliable in operation, better adapted to Wide range of work, less expensive to build and more cas ily assembled and repaired. I

To the attainment ofthis general object, important features of my invention ,relate to the following matters, namely; an improved label holder and label conveying or transfer mechanism therefor, improved devices formovingthe label conveying plates or pickers, novel mechanism for actuating the label wipers and for adapting them to different shapes of bottles, auxiliary devices for applying labels on the necks of bottles, improved stopping and starting mechanism for the machine, and novel mechanical connections for actuatingthe several parts.

My invention further relates to. certain arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended c-laims; i y A preferred ,form. of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved labeling machine;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of certain parts of the machine, looking in the direction of the arrow 2 in Fig.1;

' 3 mechanism, looking in the direction of the arrow-3 in Fig. 1; i V

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of'a modified form of wiping mechanism;

Fig. 5 a sectional elevationof the label conveying and applying mechanism, look ing inthe direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 1;

6 is a sectional front elevation showparts of the pasting mechanisinand of the driving mechanism therefor. looking in the. direction of the arrow 6 in- Fig.1;

*ig. 7 is a partial sectional side elevation, showing the starting and stopping mechanism; T-

and

is a rearelevation of the wiping- Fig. 8 is a detail plan view, looking in the direction, of the arrow 8 in Fig 7 Fig. 9 is a plan view of the stopping cam;

Fig. 10 is a, side elevation of the actuating mechanism for the label stripper, looking in the direction of the arrow 10in Fig. 6; v

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of the actuating mechanism for the pasting roll, looking in the direction of the arrow 11in Figs. 5

I Fig.12 is a sectional front elevation showing the actuating mechanism forthe label pickers; I a v Fig. 13 is a sectional sideelevation of the actuating mechanism, taken along the line 13-13 in Fig. 12; I v I i Fig. 14 is a View similar to Fig. 12 but showing the part'sin a different position;

Fig. 15 is a. plan view of the label holder; Fig. 16 is a side elevation thereof, lookin'the direction of the arrow 16 in mg f Fig. 17 is a detail sectional front eleva tion taken along the line 17-17 in Fig.16;

Fig. 18 is a detail side elevationof'a device for moving the label holder to inoperati-ve position; v I

Fig- 19 is a detail sectional plan view,

taken along the line 19-19in Fig.1 16;

Fig. 20 is anenlarged detail side elevation looking in the direction of-the arrow 20 in Fig. 19; Fig. 21 is a plan view of a modified form of label holder; I i y 9-2 shows an additionaldevice for Wiping a label upon the neck of a bottle, and Fig. 23 is a detail sectional plan view, looking in the direction of the arrow 23 in Fig. 22. I

Referring to the drawings, my improved labeling machine as shown herein comprises a base, 1) supporting a post or 7 standard 31 and providing bearings for a main shaft 32 upon which a drive pulley 33 isfreely rotatable. The inner face of the hub of the pulley 33 is provided with a series ofnotches 34 (Fig. 7 each adapted to receive the flattenedend of a plunger assuaable in a recess 36 in arcollar '37 fixed to the shaft 32, these parts forming a clutch connection between the pulley and the shaft.

' A spring-38 tends to move the plunger outward to operative position. A stud 39 projects from the side of the plunger 35 lit) through a slot in the Wall of the recess 36 and holds the flattened end of the plunger in radial alignment with the notches 3 1. A ca'ln plate i0 (Fig. 9) is mounted onthe upper end of a.-.plunger,e1l which is vertically slidable in a fixed bearing 12 (Fig. 7) and is connected by a forked lever 13, link at, lever 45, cross shaft {16, and cross rod (Fig. 8) to a pair of levers 48 upon which mounteda foot plate or pedal 4E9 (Fig. 1). A spring 50 (Fig. 7) normally holds the pedal in raised position, with the plunger el'correspondingly raised and the cam i0 in position to withdraw the clutch plunge: 3 4

When the pedal 50 is depressed, the cam 4L0 is drawn downward out of engagement with the stud 39, whereupon the spring 38 advances theplunger 3.5 and its flattened end'enters the first notch 34; which is thereafter aligned therewith. The machine will continue to operate as long as the foot plate is held in depressed position but soon as the foot plate is released, the can'i- 4:0 moves upward and stops the machine upon the completion of its revolution, by withdrawing the. plunger from the hub of the driving pulley. have thus provided a very convenient single revolution clutch and starting mechanism, which may also he used to keep the machine in continuous operation.

The main shaft 82 (Fig. 1) is operatively connected to drive a considerable number of different mechanisms which will now be separately described. These mechanisms in clude label pickers 52, a pasting roll 53,

- (Fig. 5) a label stripper 5 L 1) and label wipers 55, for each of which parts novel .and f improved actuating mechanism is provided.- V

A. label holder 56 is mounted upon a forwardly projecting head 57 on the post 81 andthe labels are successively removed from the label holder by the pickers 52, previously coated withglue or paste. by the )asting roll 53. The pickers '52bring the label down to the bottle where it is held by the stripper 5 4- while the pickers move upward and the wipers advance to engage the label and wipe it smoothly upon the bottle.

The operationof the pickers is shown in Figs. 5, 12 and 14:. The pickers .52 comprise a pair of forwardly extending parallelplates shown in side elevation in 1 and secured for'vertical adjustment at the upper end of a slide 60. (Fig. 5) mounted in fixed guide-ways Gland connected by a link 62 to a crank pin .63. The crank pin 63, is mounted upon a block 64 slidable. radially in a forked arm '65 fixed to the main shaft A- springfifi normally pushes the block outwardly and outward moveinent thereof is anfendip' te 67. A roll 6 8 (Fig.

' .m a e th as i d dfr e use.

6 1 and is positioned in the cam groove 69 (Fig. 12) of a fixed side cam 70. The groove 69 is circular in outline for about. three quarters of its circumference and has a depressed or inwardly. curved port-ion 71 in the remaining quarter.

The roll 68 is moved around the fixed cam holder to the label-applying position shown in Fig. 12 and the pickers 52 are thereafter raised to the pasting position shown in full lines in Fig. 1.4:. At this point, the roll 68 enters the depressed or inwardly curved portion 71 ofthe fixed cam thereby shortening the crank radius andretarding the pickers for a, brief period, duringwhich the pickers are coated or gummed by the pasting roll 53. This provision of a retarded movement during the pasting operation is of great advantage and constitutes an important feature of my invention.

The stripper 54; for removingthe label L from the pickers 52 is actuated by the mechanism shown indetail in Figs. 6 and '10. A

cross shaft 74: (Fig. 6) is mounted in bearings 7 5 on the base 30 and is driven-from the main shaft 32 by a pair of spiral gears'ZS and 77 of equal size. A cam 78 (Figs. 6 and 10) is secured. to the cross shaft M and is engaged by a cam roll 79 on a link 80 which is forked at its lower end and is thus guided by the cross shaft 74. The upper end of the link 80 is pivoted at 81 to an arm 82 connected to swing the stripper 54 about a stud or pivot 83. I

The link 80 is preferably formed in two parts which are yieldingly separated by a spring 84, thus perinittingthe stripper to yieldingly engage the bottle. The yielding niovenient'ofthe'parts of the link SOis limited by a cross pin 85, and a spring 86 (Fig. 6) is provided which holds the link with its cam roll T9 in ieldino enga einent P'V C V with the cam78.

The cam 78 is so formed and timed that the stripper 5e willbe held in raised position while the label isdescending, after which it will be quickly swung downward to engage the label and hold it against the bottle while the pickers rise and the wipers advance to wipe the label upon the bottle. The stripper is then again moved quickly upward before the descent of the next label.

A bottle support 88 (Figs. 1 and 10) is mounted for vertical adjustment upon a pair of studs 89 and 90 and may be secured in position thereon'by a set screw 91. A" stop for the bottom of the bottle is adjustable forward and rearward by a bolt and slot co neetion to the support 88,

' interval for the transfer It-is necessar to provide a thin coatim of i i o The paste box or reservoir is mounted on f the post 31 and is provided with a roller 96 (Fig. 6) rotatably mounted therein. 1

The roller 96 is driven through spur gears 97 and 98- a sprocket wheel 99 (Fig. 1) and a chain 100 from a second sprocket wheel 101' mounted on the cross shaft 74. The roller 96 is thus continuously rotated during the operation of the machine. A scraper 102 (Fig. 6) is yieldingly mounted on posts or studs 103 and may be adjusted toward or from a roller 96 by wing nuts 104;.

The pasting roller 53 (Fig. 5) is mounted on a roll shaft 105 rotatable in yielding bearings 106 at the upper end of a pair of rock arms 107. I The arms 107 are fixed to across rod 108 supported in bearings in the machine frame and one of the arms 107 has a bolt and slot connection with a bell crank 109 (Fig. 11) so that it maybe angularly adjusted relative thereto. A forked link 110 is pivoted at 111 to the bell-crank 109 and is provided with a cam roll 112 engaged by a cam 113 on the cross shaft 7 1. A spring 11 1 holds the roll yieldin gly against the cam.

The parts are so disposed that the pasting roll 53 is positively moved outward to apply paste to the pickers 52 and isyieldingly moved rearward to engage the roller 96 and is thoroughly coated with paste, gum or glue thereby. The forward movement of the roll 53 is timed to correspond to the retarded upward movement of the pickers 52 previously described, thus providing a sufficient time of paste or glue to the pickers.

The mechanism for actuating the wipers 55 is shown particularly in Figs. 2, 3 and 13. The wipers 55 are mounted upon bellcranks pivoted at 1.21 to the upper end of a slide 122. The slide 122 is guided for vertical movement upon a pair of posts 123 and is connectedby a link 124- to a crank arm 125 fixed to the front end of a short horizontal shaft 126. The shaft 126 is rotatable in fixed bearings aligned with the main shaft 32 and at its rear end is provided with a cam 127 having a slotted arm 128 projecting therefrom. The slot 129 in the arm 128 receives the projecting forward end of the crank pin 63 (F ig. 13) which actuates the picker slide 60. The shaft 126 is thus rotated inunison with the main shaft 32 and the crank arm 1'25 regularly reciprocates the wiper slide 1.22. p f The lower arms 1.30 of the bell-cranks 120 are-connected by links 131 (Fig. 3) with a slide plate 132 mounted inguideways 133 on the wiper slide 122. A cam roll 134. on

thelower end of'the slide plate 132 the cam 127 previously described and is actuated thereby to give the wipers a swinging movement upon their pivots 121 independent of the vertical movement of the slide 122. It will be evident that many different combinations of movements of the wipers 55 may be obtained by suitably designing the cam 127.

A spring 135 is interposed between por-.

tions of the slide 122 and the slide plate 132 and maintains the latter in yielding engagement with the cam 12?.

In the modified construction shown in Fig. 4, the wipers are mounted upon bent levers 141 pivoted 211L142 to the wiper slide and having depending arms 1 13provided with cam rolls 144. Theauxiliary slide 1 15 is provided with cam surfaces 146 and 147 engaged by the rolls 1414 as the slide moves relative to the wiper slide; Bya suitable selection and arrangement of cam surfaces, the wipers 140 may be given almost any de sired combination of movements making this form ofwiper mechanism particularly well adapted for wiping labels upon rectangula-ror irregular shaped bottles.

The label holder and delivery mechanism for my improved machine is clearly shown in Figs. 15 to 20 and as shown therein is arranged for feeding diamond shaped labels. A sleeve or support 150 is mountedforvertical sliding movement upon studs 151 and 152 projecting upwardly from the head 57. A stud 153 projects laterally from the sup .port 150 and a lever154 is pivotally mounted thereon; The lower end of the lever 15%]: is provided with a cam slot throughwhich projects a roll 156 pivoted on a stud 157 fixed in the head. When the lever 154: is in the positionshown 'inFig. 18, the

label boX is in'its. lower or operative posi- It is thus easily pos- A cross frame member 158 is mounted v upon a stud 159 projecting forwardly from the support 150 and may be angularly adjusted thereon by adjusting "screws 158 (Figs. 6, 15 and 16) which engage the under side of the frame member 158. A pair of horizontal rods 160 are secured in the ends of the frame member158 and a pairof guide bars 161 and 162 are slidably mounted. on the rods 160 and support the label guides 163. The bars 161 and 162 maybe securedin any desired spaced relation upon the rods 160 by set screws 16%. The guides 163 are provided with vertically extending guide rods 165 (Fig. 16) and theseguiderods are provided at their lower ends with obliquely disposed inwardly extending lugs or pro jecting portions 166 (Figs. 19 and 20).

The labels L are positioned by the rods 165 and are supported upon the lugs or projections 166. The angular or oblique position of the projections 166 is found to greatly facilitate successive delivery of labels therefrom.

A bracket 167 (Fig. 16) is mounted for angular adjustment upon a stud 16,8 extending upwardly from the cross frame member 158. A. bar 169 extends forwardly from the bracket 167 and provides a support for a casting 170 slidably mounted thereonand secured in adjusted position by a binding screw 171 (Fig. 17 A feeding block or weight 172 is secured to the lower end of a feed rod 173 which is vertically slidable in the casting 170. At its upper end, the rod 173 has a lock plate 174-. having its opposite end angularly disposed and provided with a recess through which projects a-rod 1'? 5 extending upward from the casting 170..

The plate 174, due to its angular construction. will slide freely downward on the rod 175 but will resist upward movement when pressure is applied thereto at the outer end thereof. The plate thus follows the feed rod 173 as the rod and feed block move downward with the labels and in each new position thereof the lock plate 17 1- resists upward. movement of the rod and block and holds the labels for firm engagement by the pickers 52. A friction spring 17 6 on the rod 173 will act to hold the rod and block in extreme raised position when drawn upward into the casting 170.

The cross bar 161 (Fig. 15) is provided, with upwardly extending arms having bearings their upper ends which may receive a cross rod 181 (Fig. 21) upon which is threaded a pair of guide arms 18.2. The rod 181 is provided with right and left hand threads so that the distance between the guide arms 182 may be adjusted by rotation of the threaded rod 181. This construction is particularly adapted for holding square or rectangular labels, with label guide rods 165 mounted upon the arms 182'and also directly upon the cross bars 161 and 162. Ad-

justment is provided in both directions so that the rods 165 will engage and position rectangular labels of any ordinary dimensions.

Having thus described my improved machine-and the details of construction thereof, it is-believed that the method of operation will be readily understood. Thelabels being placed in the label box and the box being lowered to operative position, the machine is set in operation by depressing the pedal at). after a bottle B has been placed. upon the he -1Q airpor 35- The pisker i-52rmevc' upward from the position shown in Fig; 12 to that shown in Fig. 14, at whichpoint their movement is retarded while the pasting roll 53 applies a film of paste or glue thereto. The pickers then continue their I upward movement to the position shown indotted lines in Fig. let where they engage the lowermost label L and withdraw the same from the label box as they commence their downward movement. The pickers then descend to the position shown in Fig. 12, carrying the label L therewith. The stripper 54 is then swung downward to engage the label and hold it against the bottle B as the pickers commence their next upward move.- ment. The wipers 55 are moving upward as the label is stripped from the pickers and as the pickers rise, the wipers move inward from the position shown in Fig. 12 to that shown in Fig. 1 1. The wipers then move downward while in their inward posit-ion and smoothly apply the label to the rounded surface of the bottle, the wipers being formed of rubber or other flexible material which permits them to adapt themselves to the shape of the bottle.

If the bottle is rectangular or irregular in shape, the cam construction shown in Fig. 1- may be utilized to give the wipers additional inward and outward movements as they move downward. lNhile the label is thus being applied to the bottle, the stripper 5 L swings upward out of the path of the next descending label. A. fresh bottle is then inserted in the machine and the operation is repeated. By releasing the foot plate or pedal, the machine will automatically stop'at the end of each revolution, and by holding the pedal down, the machine may be operated continuously so long as the opera tor can provide fresh bottles for the machinen In Figs. 22 and 23, I have shown an attachment by which anadditional label may be placed upon the neck of a bottle at the same time that the body label is applied. For this purpose, auxiliary wipers 185 are mounted upon arms 186 pivoted upon studs 187 in the main wiper arms 120. A plunger 188 is slidably mounted in an opening in the arm 120 and is pressed yieldingly rearward by a spring 189. At its rear end the plunger 188 is provided. with a roll 190 positioned for engagement by a cam projection 191 on the picker slide 60. The front end of the plunger 188 engages a; lateral projection 1 92 on the auxiliary wiperarm; 186. The parts are so timedthat' the cam 191 will engage the roll 190'as the wipers commence their downward movement and as the slide 60 commences its upward movement. By such engagement, the plunger 188 is pushed forward, rocking the wiper arm 186and causing the auxiliary wiper-e185- to apply .a

lab l to the. neck- .of the bottle,

son

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I do claim is 1. In a labeling machine, a paste box, a driven roller rotatable therein, a pasting roll, means including a cam and a cam roller to move said pasting roll from paste receiving to paste delivery position and return,

means to yieldingly hold said cam and roller in engagement with each other, and means to positively rotate said roll when in contact with said driven roller.

2. In a labeling machine, a paste box, a roller rotatable therein, means to drive said roller including a gear fixed thereto, a pasting roll, a pinion fixed to rotate with said roll, and-means including a cam, and a cam roller in yielding engagement therewith to move said roll to and from paste receiving position, said pinion engaging the gear on said roller for positive rotation thereby when said pasting roll is in contact with said driven roller.

3. In a labeling machine, a pair of pick ers, a picker slide, a driven shaft, a variable crank arm on said shaft, and a cam track, and means to connect said arm to said slide and to said cam track.

i. In a labeling machine, a pair of pickers, a picker slide, a driven shaft, an arm on said shaft, a block slidable in said arm, a crank pin on said block, a link connecting said crank pin to said slide, and a fixed cam effective to vary the radial position of said block and crank pin. 7 V

5. In a labeling machine, a pair of pickers, a picker slide, a driven shaft, an arm on said shaft, a link connecting said arm and said slide, a fixed cam, and means controlled by said cam efiective to radially vary the point of connection between said arm and said link.

6. In a labeling machine, a pair of label wipers, means including a slide on which the wipers are mounted to give said wipers a reciprocating vertical movement, and additional means connecting said wipers and said slide to give said wipers anin-and-out movement to apply a label on abot-tle.

7. In alabeling machine, a pair of wipers,

a slide on which said wipers are mounted,

means to give said slide a vertical reciproeating motlon, and additional means including a plate removably mounted on said slide and connected to said wipers to give sai'il wipers an in-and-outmotion on said wiper slide. v

8. In a labeling machine, a pair of label wipers, a'slide on which said wipers are mounted, a slide plate mounted on said wiper slide, and separate means to actuate said slide and said slide plate.

9. In a labeling machine, a pair of label wipers, a slide on which said wipers are mounted, a slide plate mounted on said wiper slide, means to give motion to said wiper slide from a regularly driven crank, and a cam to give said wiper plate an independent additional movement on said wiper slide.

'10. In a labeling machine, a pair of label tuated arm having a bolt-and-slot connection with one of said rock arms, whereby angular ad]uStlnn t of said cam-actuated arms 1s permltted.

12. In a labeling machine, a label holder including a label feeder, a manually operated cam lever effective to raise said holder and to retain the same in raised position above label feeding position, and a friction spring effective to hold said feeder above 7 its label feeding position. i

13. In a label holder, a plurality of label positioning rods, and means to supportsaid rods in engagement withthe different edges of. said labels, said rods having label supporting portions obliquely disposed at all times relative to labels.

the adjacent edgesof said 14. In a label holder, a plurality of label positioning rods, means to support said rods in engagement with the 'difi'erentedges of said labels, said rods having label supporting portions obliquely disposed at all times relative to the adjacent edges of said labels, and means to laterally adjust said rods to receive labels of different sizes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

, NELSON MUSLAR. 

